Bücher veröffentlicht von Mdpi AG

Sustainability comes in many forms and is increasingly linked to strategy and to marketing. Organizations have long since recognized the importance of corporate social responsibility and, hence, it is the upper echelon of the enterprise that is involved in the major decisions in this area. Dedicated and specialized teams are the future of organizational sustainability, and we predict that the next decade will see an exponential increase in sustainable activity and investment. Firms cannot afford to let certain opportunities pass without leaving their mark-a mark which will affect the brand and, more importantly, consumers' minds and their attitudes towards the market of products and services. The market in general will have to adapt to the circular economy and to the well-being of employees and, indeed, of society and its stakeholders, in order to prosper. We are glad to have made even a small contribution to the growing debate on green and soft issues, such as those contained in this book.

Quantitative movement analysis is widely used in clinical practice and research to investigate movement disorders objectively and in a complete way. Conventionally, body segment kinematic and kinetic parameters are measured in gait laboratories using marker-based optoelectronic systems, force plates, and electromyographic systems. Although movement analyses are considered accurate, the availability of specific laboratories, high costs, and dependency on trained users sometimes limit its use in clinical practice. A variety of compact wearable sensors are available today and have allowed researchers and clinicians to pursue applications in which individuals are monitored in their homes and in community settings within different fields of study, such movement analysis. Wearable sensors may thus contribute to the implementation of quantitative movement analyses even during out-patient use to reduce evaluation times and to provide objective, quantifiable data on the patients' capabilities, unobtrusively and continuously, for clinical purposes.

Extremely popular for statistical inference, Bayesian methods are also becoming popular in machine learning and artificial intelligence problems. Bayesian estimators are often implemented by Monte Carlo methods, such as the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm of the Gibbs sampler. These algorithms target the exact posterior distribution. However, many of the modern models in statistics are simply too complex to use such methodologies. In machine learning, the volume of the data used in practice makes Monte Carlo methods too slow to be useful. On the other hand, these applications often do not require an exact knowledge of the posterior. This has motivated the development of a new generation of algorithms that are fast enough to handle huge datasets but that often target an approximation of the posterior. This book gathers 18 research papers written by Approximate Bayesian Inference specialists and provides an overview of the recent advances in these algorithms. This includes optimization-based methods (such as variational approximations) and simulation-based methods (such as ABC or Monte Carlo algorithms). The theoretical aspects of Approximate Bayesian Inference are covered, specifically the PAC-Bayes bounds and regret analysis. Applications for challenging computational problems in astrophysics, finance, medical data analysis, and computer vision area also presented.

This book represents a Special Issue collection called: "Optimising Soilless Culture Systems and Alternative Growing Media to Current Used Materials". Nine original papers, one review, and an Editorial from 41 authors from different countries were published in this Special Issue. New strategies and technologies, including new sustainable raw materials, should be continually developed to solve specific cultivation limitations, optimise existing systems, reduce related environmental impacts, and address the impacts of climate change.

Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of DNA-derived data and innovative phenotyping to obtain insights into the causative genes underlying traits of agronomical interest or to characterize tree genetic resources. The latter, in particular, could represent an important source of genetic diversity that can be readily used to enhance the adaptability to limiting environmental factors and resistance to biotic stresses or to promote novel genotypes with improved agronomic traits. On the whole, the studies collected in this book report on tree crop biodiversity characterization that could provide the essential building blocks to ensure future improvements in production and quality, as well as for innovations in tree crop development and utilization.

This book is a collection of fundamental and applied research on the plant root response to environmental clues. In particular, the continued adaptation of both fine and coarse roots to modifications due to natural and anthropogenic causes were investigated from different viewpoints. Additionally, specific root traits were investigated as an optimal indicator of responses to the environment at the whole-plant level. Aspects such as an innovative methodological approach, the root morphology, gene expression, and primary and secondary metabolite concentrations were at the center of the investigations conducted in this collection.

Storm tides, surges, and waves associated with typhoons/tropical cyclones/hurricanes are the most severe threats to coastal zones, nearshore waters, and navigational safety. Therefore, predicting typhoon/tropical cyclone/hurricane-induced storm tides, surges, waves, and coastal erosion is essential for reducing the loss of human life and property and mitigating coastal disasters. There is still a growing demand for novel techniques that could be adopted to resolve the complex physical processes of storm tides, surges, waves, and coastal erosion, even if many studies on the hindcasting/prediction/forecasting of typhoon-driven storm tides, surges, waves, and also morphology evolution have been carried out through numerical models in the last decade. This Special Issue intends to collect the latest studies on storm tide, surge, and wave modeling and analysis utilizing dynamic and statistical models and artificial intelligence approaches to improve our simulating and analytic capabilities and our understanding of storm tides, surges, and waves. Five high-quality papers have been accepted for publication in this Special Issue; these papers cover the application and development of many high-end techniques for storm tides, surges, waves, and on-site investigation of coastal erosion and accretion.

High-performance or hi-tech textiles represent the keystone of the present and the future for all industrial sectors, which require lightening, flexibility, and the high mechanical resistance as well as thermal stability of the materials. As described within this Special Issue, the applications of these advanced systems are innovative and also highly technological: from water-repellent to stain-resistant fabrics, from being flame-resistant to antibacterial/antifouling, from being insulating to conductive, and from environmental protection systems to smart textiles. High-performance textiles also meet all of the actual requirements of sustainability and environmental protection of modern industry.

There is a close link between food and territory. The current challenges are located in precision agriculture and food metrology from the perspective of monitoring and improving food quality, and addressing the promotion of diversity of agroecosystems and diets. Research studies describing factors affecting food quality-such as agronomic conditions, post-harvest elicitors, cultivar selection, harvest date, or environmental influences-are welcome. Sustainable environmental and innovative practices should be promoted. Advanced techniques, such as mass spectrometry, infrared, and Raman spectroscopy in the monitoring and control of foodstuffs to model the agrofood system should be considered. Innovative green technologies should be taken into account. Targeting food approaches should be promoted. Chemometrics applications are welcome. This issue promotes highly interdisciplinary studies, including disciplines from agriculture and biology, chemistry, and nutrition. All types of articles, such as original research, opinions, and reviews, are welcome.

Welding is a technological field that has some of the greatest impact on many industries, such as automotive, aerospace, energy production, electronics, the health sector, etc. Welding technologies are currently used to connect the most diverse materials, from metallic alloys to polymers, composites, or even biological tissues. Despite the relevance and wide application of traditional welding technologies, these processes do not meet the demanding requirements of some industries. This has driven strong research efforts in the field of non-conventional welding processes. This Special Issue presents a sample of the most recent developments in the non-conventional welding of materials, which will drive the design of future industrial solutions with increased efficiency and sustainability.

Most of the treatments in medicine are patient specific, aren't they? So why should we bother with individualizing implants if we adapt our therapy to patients anyway? Looking at the neighboring field of oncologic treatment, you would not question the fact that individualization of tumor therapy with personalized antibodies has led to the thriving of this field in terms of success in patient survival and positive responses to alternatives for conventional treatments. Regarding the latest cutting-edge developments in orthopedic surgery and biotechnology, including new imaging techniques and 3D-printing of bone substitutes as well as implants, we do have an armamentarium available to stimulate the race for innovation in medicine. This Special Issue of Journal of Personalized Medicine will gather all relevant new and developed techniques already in clinical practice. Examples include the developments in revision arthroplasty and tumor (pelvic replacement) surgery to recreate individual defects, individualized implants for primary arthroplasty to establish physiological joint kinematics, and personalized implants in fracture treatment, to name but a few.

Corrugated and composite materials can significantly outperform traditional materials. Nowadays, such materials have gained more and more attention and application not only in theoretical, experimental or numerical scientific studies but also in daily industrial problems, which require innovative solutions. The specific geometry of a corrugated layer, or the combination of two or more materials in the structures allows the mechanical properties with specific features favorable for use in a specific engineering problem to be obtained. For example, due to the specific compositions of the corrugated materials, the ratio of the load capacity to the weight of the sections is much higher than that of traditional solid sections. Therefore, such materials should be used when the weight of the structure must be optimized or the structure must have openwork geometry. Among others, the composites can be employed for a variety of purposes, for example, in corrugated boards in the packaging industry; in soft-core sandwich panels, window frames in structural engineering; in wings in commercial, civilian and military aerospace applications; in the vehicle and its equipment devices, including, panels, frames or other interior components; in fans, grating, tanks, ducts and pumps in environmental installations; in electrical engineering in switchgear, motor controls, control system components or circuit breakers; and in many more. This Special Issue "Mechanics of Corrugated and Composite Materials" addresses selected knowledge gaps and aids advance in this area.

Few neurotransmitter systems have fascinated as much as the opioid system (i.e., opioid ligands and their receptors). Over the years, scientific studies of the endogenous opioid system have uncovered a complex and subtle system that exhibits impressive diversity, based on its critical role in modulating a large number of sensory, motivational, emotional and cognitive functions. Additionally, its important therapeutic value for the treatment of many human disorders, including pain, affective and addictive disorders, and gastrointestinal motility disorders, has been of persistent interest. This book specifically covers a broad area of the opioid research, offering up-to-date and new perspectives about opioid drug discovery. The diversity among the discussed topics ranging from medicinal chemistry to opioid pharmacology, from basic science to translational research, is a testimony to the complexity of the opioid system that results from the expression, regulation and functional role of opioid ligands and their receptors. This book will serve as a useful reference to scientists while also stimulating continuous research in the chemistry and pharmacology of the opioid system, with the prospective for finding improved therapies of human diseases where the opioid system plays a central role.

The performance-based design of structures in fire is gaining growing interest as a rational alternative to the traditionally adopted prescriptive code approach. This interest has led to its introduction in different codes and standards around the world. Although engineers widely use performance-based methods to design structural components in earthquake engineering, the adoption of such methods in fire engineering is still very limited. This Special Issue addresses this shortcoming by providing engineers with the needed knowledge and recent research activities addressing performance-based design in structural fire engineering, including the use of hotspot analysis to estimate the magnitude of risk to people and property in urban areas; simulations of the evacuation of large crowds; and the identification of fire effects on concrete, steel, and special structures.

This book addresses several issues on water security and governance, helping readers to understand how the desire for water-secure basins can be accomplished through an interplay of water security, water resources management and water policies. The book contains a collection of 12 papers addressing specific as well as interlinked topics within the Special Issue scope. The editors are grateful to all contributors who made the book a reality.

This Special Issue was intended to contribute to the sustainable mobility agenda through enhanced scientific and multi-disciplinary knowledge to investigate concerns and real possibilities in the achievement of a greener mobility and to support the debate between industry and academic researchers, providing an interesting overview on new needs and investigation topics required for future developments.

The aim of this Special Issue was to propose, on the basis of the evidence that the current literature provides, new training techniques and specific evaluation methods for the different populations practicing physical activity.

Cyber-physical system (CPS) innovations, in conjunction with their sibling computational and technological advancements, have positively impacted our society, leading to the establishment of new horizons of service excellence in a variety of applicational fields. With the rapid increase in the application of CPSs in safety-critical infrastructures, their safety and security are the top priorities of next-generation designs. The extent of potential consequences of CPS insecurity is large enough to ensure that CPS security is one of the core elements of the CPS research agenda. Faults, failures, and cyber-physical attacks lead to variations in the dynamics of CPSs and cause the instability and malfunction of normal operations. This reprint discusses the existing vulnerabilities and focuses on detection, prevention, and compensation techniques to improve the security of safety-critical systems.

This reprint introduces advanced prediction models focused on power load forecasting. Models based on artificial intelligence and more traditional approaches are shown, demonstrating the real possibilities of use to improve prediction in this field. Models of LSTM neural networks, LSTM networks with a SESDA architecture, in even LSTM-CNN are used. On the other hand, multiple seasonal Holt-Winters models with discrete seasonality and the application of the Prophet method to demand forecasting are presented. These models are applied in different circumstances and show highly positive results. This reprint is intended for both researchers related to energy management and those related to forecasting, especially power load.

The importance of evapotranspiration is well-established in different disciplines such as hydrology, agronomy, climatology, and other geosciences. Reliable estimates of evapotranspiration are also vital to develop criteria for in-season irrigation management, water resource allocation, long-term estimates of water supply, demand and use, design and management of water resources infrastructure, and evaluation of the effect of land use and management changes on the water balance. The objective of this Special Issue is to define and discuss several ET terms, including potential, reference, and actual (crop) ET, and present a wide spectrum of innovative research papers and case studies.

The Internet-of-Things is becoming an established technology, with devices being deployed in homes, workplaces, and public areas at an increasingly rapid rate. IoT devices are the core technology of smart-homes, smart-cities, intelligent transport systems, and promise to optimise travel, reduce energy usage and improve quality of life. With the IoT prevalence, the problem of how to manage the vast volumes of data, wide variety and type of data generated, and erratic generation patterns is becoming increasingly clear and challenging. This Special Issue focuses on solving this problem through the use of edge computing. Edge computing offers a solution to managing IoT data through the processing of IoT data close to the location where the data is being generated. Edge computing allows computation to be performed locally, thus reducing the volume of data that needs to be transmitted to remote data centres and Cloud storage. It also allows decisions to be made locally without having to wait for Cloud servers to respond.

This reprint includes contributions from leaders in the field of personalized medicine in ophthalmology. The contributions are diverse and cover pre-clinical and clinical topics. We hope you enjoy reading the articles.

Stroke is a common cause of death and disability worldwide. Malnutrition is prevalent in stroke rehabilitation patients, and has serious negative effects on outcomes. In addition, there is growing interest in new concepts related to malnutrition, such as sarcopenia, frailty, cachexia, chronic inflammation, dysphagia, and oral problems, all of which contribute to a poor prognosis. Therefore, it is necessary to assess nutritional status early and, if needed, provide appropriate nutritional interventions to improve patient outcomes. A multidisciplinary approach is strongly recommended in this setting; as such, high-quality clinical evidence regarding clinical nutrition in stroke rehabilitation is needed. This reprint updates our knowledge of clinical nutrition for stroke patients and includes interesting studies on topics including nutrition and weight management in the early stages of stroke, the relationship between frailty and improved physical function, weight gain by providing stored energy, physical activity and diet quality, L-carnitine and cognitive levels, and the prediction of stroke prognosis using temporal muscles. The Guest Editor hopes that this reprint will help provide clinicians with up-to-date knowledge of nutritional management in stroke rehabilitation.

Asymmetry is an inherent characteristic of brain organization in both humans and other vertebrate species, and is evident at the behavioral, neurophysiological, and structural levels. Brain asymmetry underlies the organization of several cognitive systems, such as emotion, communication, and spatial processing. Despite this ubiquity of asymmetries in the vertebrate brain, we are only beginning to understand the complex neuronal mechanisms underlying the interaction between hemispheric asymmetries and cognitive systems. Unfortunately, despite the vast number of empirical studies on brain asymmetries, theoretical models that aim to provide mechanistic explanations of hemispheric asymmetries are sparse in the field. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to highlight empirically based mechanistic models of brain asymmetry. Overall, six theoretical and four empirical articles were published in the Special Issue, covering a wide range of topics, from human handedness to auditory laterality in bats. Two key challenges for theoretical models of brain asymmetry are the integration of increasingly complex molecular data into testable models, and the creation of theoretical models that are robust and testable across different species.

This Special Issue is aimed to offer an overview of studies presenting new rehabilitation approaches addressed to children with neurodevelopmental disorders, designed to enhance the effects of learning processes through the use of new technologies. The contributions of this Special Issue, authored by researchers and clinicians from some of the most valued Italian scientific institutions in the field of neurodevelopmental disorders, can offer some useful data and advice on the use of technology in rehabilitation and telerehabilitation to researchers, rehabilitators, clinicians and pratictioners (psychologists, neuropsychologists, speech therapists, etc.).

This Special Issue, "Approaches in Enhancing Antioxidant Defense in Plants" published 13 original research works and a couple of review articles that discuss the various aspects of plant oxidative stress biology and ROS metabolism, as well as the physiological mechanisms and approaches to enhancing antioxidant defense and mitigating oxidative stress. These papers will serve as a foundation for plant oxidative stress tolerance and, in the long term, provide further research directions in the development of crop plants' tolerance to abiotic stress in the era of climate change.

The high importance of free radical chemistry for a variety of biological events, including ageing and inflammation, has attracted considerable interest in understanding the related mechanistic steps at the molecular level. Modelling the free radical chemical reactivity of biological systems is an important research area. When studying free-radical-based chemical mechanisms, biomimetic chemistry and the design of established biomimetic models come into play to perform experiments in a controlled environment, suitably designed to be a similar as possible to cellular conditions.This Special Issue provides readers with a wide overview of biomimetic radical chemistry, where molecular mechanisms have been defined and molecular libraries of products are developed to be used as traces for the discoveries of some relevant biological processes. Several subjects are presented, with five articles and five reviews written by specialists in the fields of DNA, proteins, lipids, biotechnological applications and bioinspired synthesis, with "free radicals" as the common denominator.

Even if the terms "forensic sciences" and "legal medicine" seem to be synonymous, they could be defined as two sides of the same coin. It has been demonstrated that they are different components of the application of medical knowledge upon the legal system. Legal medicine has greater relevance to civil and tort law, impacting upon patient care, whereas forensic medicine relates to criminal law and damage to (or by) patients. This Special Issue, entitled "Forensic Science and Legal Medicine: A Multidisciplinary Puzzle!", collected accurate and up-to-date scientific information on all aspects of this theme, publishing original investigations, case series and case reports, and reviews in all forensic and medico-legal branches.

Neuroactive chemicals are the largest group of micropollutants present in European rivers. There is increasing concern about the behavioral effects of these neuroactive chemicals on aquatic wildlife, potentially resulting in detrimental effects on individual, population, and community levels of ecological organization. This Special Issue, titled "Behavioral Impairment in Aquatic Organisms Exposed to Neurotoxic Pollutants", presents original research and review articles addressing behavioral impairment induced by different aquatic invertebrate and vertebrate species to neuroactive chemicals. The selected studies include different methodological approaches, such as multi-compartment, automated plug and play, and homemade setups systems. We believe that this collection provides essential information regarding research and challenges on the behavioral ecotoxicity of invertebrate and vertebrate aquatic organisms, as well as the molecular mechanisms behind these effects.

An outstanding compilation that reflects the state-of-the art on Dielectrophoresis (DEP) in 2020. Contributions include: - A novel mathematical framework to analyze particle dynamics inside a circular arc microchannel using computational modeling. - A fundamental study of the passive focusing of particles in ratchet microchannels using direct-current DEP. - A novel molecular version of the Clausius-Mossotti factor that bridges the gap between theory and experiments in DEP of proteins. - The use of titanium electrodes to rapidly enrich T. brucei parasites towards a diagnostic assay. - Leveraging induced-charge electrophoresis (ICEP) to control the direction and speed of Janus particles. - An integrated device for the isolation, retrieval, and off-chip recovery of single cells. - Feasibility of using well-established CMOS processes to fabricate DEP devices. - The use of an exponential function to drive electrowetting displays to reduce flicker and improve the static display performance. - A novel waveform to drive electrophoretic displays with improved display quality and reduced flicker intensity. - Review of how combining electrode structures, single or multiple field magnitudes and/or frequencies, as well as variations in the media suspending the particles can improve the sensitivity of DEP-based particle separations. - Improvement of dielectrophoretic particle chromatography (DPC) of latex particles by exploiting differences in both their DEP mobility and their crossover frequencies.